A Kangaroo pump is a portable electronic device that delivers liquid nutrition or hydration through a feeding tube directly into the stomach or intestines. Made by Cardinal Health, it’s one of the most widely used enteral feeding pumps in hospitals, nursing facilities, and home care settings. If you or someone you care for has been prescribed tube feeding, there’s a good chance the equipment involved is a Kangaroo pump.
The pump controls exactly how fast and how much formula flows through the tube, which matters because delivering nutrition too quickly can cause nausea, cramping, or other complications. Rather than relying on gravity alone (which is harder to regulate), the pump uses a motorized mechanism to push formula through at a precise, programmable rate.
How a Kangaroo Pump Works
The basic setup involves three components: the pump unit itself, a bag or container filled with liquid formula, and a disposable feeding set that connects the bag to the patient’s feeding tube. The feeding set includes a cassette, which is a small plastic piece that clicks into the pump and allows the motor to control flow.
To get the system running, you hang the formula bag on a pole about 10 inches above the pump, load the cassette onto the unit, and run a priming cycle. Priming pushes formula through the tubing to remove air before the feeding begins. Most current models offer an auto-prime feature that handles this automatically, though you can also prime manually if needed. Once primed, you set the desired flow rate and volume, and the pump does the rest.
The disposable feeding sets come in several configurations. Standard sets hold either 500 mL or 1,000 mL of formula. Specialty sets are available for thicker formulas, and some include a separate flush bag that lets the pump automatically push water through the tube at set intervals to prevent clogging. All current Kangaroo feeding sets are free of DEHP and BPA, two chemicals that have raised health concerns in medical plastics.
Who Uses a Kangaroo Pump
Anyone who cannot eat enough food by mouth may need enteral feeding, and a Kangaroo pump is often the device that delivers it. Common situations include recovery from head or neck surgery, neurological conditions that affect swallowing, cancer treatment that makes eating painful or impossible, and long-term conditions in children or adults who can’t maintain adequate nutrition orally.
These pumps are classified by the FDA as Class II medical devices, meaning they’ve been reviewed for safety and effectiveness. The newest model, the Kangaroo OMNI, received FDA clearance in December 2022. It meets international electrical safety and biocompatibility standards, and its housing is rated to resist water jets, which is useful given the liquid-heavy environment of tube feeding.
Current Kangaroo Pump Models
Cardinal Health has released several models over the years, and three are commonly encountered today. They share the same core function but differ in size, weight, and battery life, which matters a lot depending on whether the pump sits on a hospital pole all day or travels with you.
- Kangaroo ePump: The largest of the three at about 1,100 grams (roughly 2.4 pounds). Its battery lasts approximately 15 hours on a full charge. This model is more common in clinical settings where portability is less of a priority.
- Kangaroo Joey: Smaller and lighter at 770 grams (about 1.7 pounds), with an 18-hour battery life and roughly 8 hours of charging time. The Joey is popular for home use and supports automatic flushing when paired with compatible feed-and-flush sets. You can program flush volumes from 10 to 500 mL at intervals between 1 and 24 hours.
- Kangaroo OMNI: The newest and lightest model at just 530 grams (about 1.2 pounds), with the longest battery life of 20 hours at a typical flow rate of 125 mL per hour. It’s also the only model designed to handle thicker formulas that fall within standardized thickness levels used in dysphagia care.
For people using a pump at home, the weight and battery differences are significant. A lighter pump with a longer battery means more freedom to move around the house or leave home during a feeding cycle without needing to stay plugged in.
The Auto-Flush Feature
One of the most practical features on newer Kangaroo pumps is automatic flushing. Feeding tubes can become clogged when formula residue builds up inside them, and clearing a clog is unpleasant and sometimes requires a trip to a clinic. Regular flushing with water prevents this.
Without auto-flush, caregivers need to manually pause the feeding, disconnect the formula, attach a syringe of water, push it through, then reconnect the formula and restart. This is especially disruptive during overnight feedings. With a compatible feed-and-flush set, the pump handles this on its own. You fill a separate flush bag with water, program how much water to push through and how often, and the pump alternates between formula and water on schedule. This is particularly helpful for patients who receive continuous feedings over many hours.
Setting Up and Troubleshooting
Setting up a Kangaroo pump for the first time can feel intimidating, but the newer models use on-screen animations to walk you through each step. The general sequence is: fill the bag with formula, hang it on the pole, load the cassette into the pump, prime the tubing, set your rate and volume, and press start.
One common issue during setup involves the formula flowing into the tubing before you’ve started the prime cycle. This happens because of gravity: the weight of the liquid in the bag pushes formula down through the tubing on its own. When this occurs, the auto-prime function won’t work properly, and you’ll need to use the manual prime option instead (typically a “hold to prime” button). This isn’t a malfunction. It’s just how fluid physics works with a hanging bag.
During operation, the pump monitors for problems and will sound an alarm if something goes wrong. The most common alerts involve flow issues, which usually mean there’s a kink in the tubing, the bag is empty, or there’s a blockage somewhere in the line. In most cases, checking the tubing for twists, making sure the bag still has formula, and ensuring the feeding tube isn’t clogged will resolve the alarm. If the pump detects a problem it can’t resolve, it will stop the feeding automatically as a safety measure.
Living With a Kangaroo Pump at Home
For home users, daily life with a Kangaroo pump involves a routine: preparing formula, running feedings (which can last anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight depending on the prescribed plan), cleaning reusable components, and replacing disposable feeding sets as directed. Most feeding sets are single-use, though your care team will give you specific guidance on replacement schedules.
Portability is one of the Kangaroo line’s strengths. The pumps can run on battery power and are compact enough to carry in a backpack, which allows patients (especially children) to attend school, go to appointments, or simply move around the house during a feeding. Keeping the battery charged is important: the Joey takes about 8 hours to go from empty to full, so many people plug it in overnight when it’s not in use.
The feeding sets with built-in flush bags add some bulk compared to standard sets, but the tradeoff in convenience and tube maintenance is usually worth it for people on long-term feeding plans. Your healthcare team will help determine the right set type, flow rate, flush schedule, and formula based on your specific nutritional needs.